IAA
With an improved deployment strategy, automotive supplier Continental wants to deploy airbags earlier and in a more controlled manner, as well as extend their service life.
Airbag systems have been part of the safety equipment of modern cars for a good 40 years and are therefore an important part of occupant protection. So-called pressure satellites, i.e. sensors that record the pressure wave of a collision and report it to the airbag control unit, ensure that the rescue airbags are reliably ignited.
Tap into all sensors
At the IAA in Munich, Continental is showing how the protective effect of airbags in cars can be further optimized. Under the motto "Allround Protection", the two viewing directions out of the vehicle ("Pre-Crash Safety") and into the vehicle ("Occupant Safety Monitoring") will be more closely networked in the future in order to adapt the airbag deployment strategy more closely to the situation, the occupants and their adjust position. In particular, the aim is to use signals from networked control units to implement new functions that enable airbags to be deployed earlier and in a more controlled manner, as well as to extend their service life. Every millisecond counts, especially in a side crash.
An airbag control valve that can control the gas flow in the airbags in just a few milliseconds is already in pre-development. This allows the outflow openings in the airbag to be smaller, and the airbag lasts longer thanks to pressure readjustment with the airbag control valve – with the right firmness for the situation and the occupants. In the future it is even conceivable to let the airbag soften exactly when the passenger impacts, so that the rebound effect of being thrown back is reduced.,
Conclusion
In the future, Continental also wants to use the available data from sensors for the vehicle environment and the vehicle interior to deploy airbags earlier and, on the other hand, to adjust the filling level of the airbag.
